


take it easy

by la_muerta



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Blindfolds, Bondage, Cock Bondage, Cock Cages, Collars, Dom/sub, Fluff and Smut, Gags, Kink Discovery, M/M, Marking, Mirror Sex, Nipple Play, Orgasm Control, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Praise Kink, Pro Dom Magnus, Public Scene, Rough Sex, Sensation Play, Sex Toys, Sex Work, Shibari, Subdrop, Subspace, Voyeurism, but we all know my real kink is these two idiots catching feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-05-31 08:59:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19422757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_muerta/pseuds/la_muerta
Summary: Alec signs up for a session with a professional male dominant, just a one-time thing to satisfy his curiosity. It most definitely doesn't end up being just a one-time thing.





	1. your body is a harp

_your body is the harp of your soul,_  
_and it is yours to bring forth sweet music from it or confused sounds_

_\- Kahlil Gibran_

  
When Alec walked into the hotel room, he hadn't expected it to look so _normal_. 

Everything is in neutral shades, the decor classy and understated. The lights are on because the curtains are drawn, and they make the room seem warm and cozy. Alec peeks out of the curtains, and the view is completely ordinary, just New York City busy minding its own business. If anybody was expecting whips and chains, they'd be sorely disappointed - or maybe that's just because this isn't that sort of sex dungeon playroom. What the room does have is a built-in wardrobe and a nightstand, as well as two leather armchairs and a small table. The only really odd thing is the bed, not because the elegant design of the sturdy dark wood frame doesn't fit the general look of the room, but only because hotels don't usually provide four-posters. A closer look reveals metal rings embedded all along the sides, both at the top and bottom of the frame, and one circling the junction of the crossbeam that goes across the top. Alec gives one ring an experimental tug and it stays firmly attached. It's a very solid piece of furniture, intended for vigorous use.

The Hotel DuMont is relatively pricey even for Upper Manhattan, but there are plenty of tired businessmen in the lobby, desperate for a place to crash before their next meeting, and the hotel's ballroom is often hired out for company functions and even the occasional wedding. But there's another side to the hotel, and _their_ clients usually fit right in too. Those in the know jokingly call the place the Hotel DuMort - although the only kind of death the place deals in is _la petite mort_.

A company called The Court runs this other end of the business, and it is discreet, professional, and comes highly recommended for people interested in hiring a professional dominant of any gender for a play session. Clients are accepted on referral only, usually by another client. Alec had accidentally found out about them through his brother Jace, when Jace had gotten very drunk one night and started waxing poetic about some guy named Meliorn. Blackmailing Jace with several incriminating voice recordings had yielded a glossy black business card with a private number on it, and that had eventually led to access to a password-protected website.

Alec tells himself that it's just to satisfy his curiosity, a one-time thing. Besides, everything is hassle-free through the website - registration, submitting medical test results, payment, even filling up the form detailing the fantasy that he wants to play out and indicating his interests and limits. Alec had to Google half of the terms and ended up only clicking a definite 'yes' to four things on the list: gags, scarf and rope bondage, orgasm control, and anal penetration. It's probably the most vanilla list The Court has received in its long, illustrious history.

The day before the session, Alec follows the instructions given to clean himself thoroughly and showers before he leaves the house. He waits in the hotel room for all of seven minutes and twenty seconds (seven minutes and twenty lifetimes) before he gets cold feet. He's just about to get up and walk out when there is a knock on the door. Alec hesitates, then decides that he should at least apologise for wasting their time, and opens the door to the most beautiful man he's ever seen in his life. 

Warm eyes. Smokey makeup. A row of silver rings down the shell of his left ear, and a streak of bright red in a faux hawk, standing out against his dark hair. Black leather jacket and black leather pants. But most of all, a smile that makes Alec weak in the knees. 

"Can I come in?" 

"Yeah, sure." Alec steps aside, previous plans all forgotten. 

"I'm Magnus." Magnus exudes an easy grace and confident masculinity, clearly comfortable in his own skin. 

"Alec," he replies, and shakes the hand that's offered.

Magnus settles into a chair and indicates that Alec should take a seat. He has a tablet computer in his hand, and Alec is briefly distracted by how good black nail polish looks on Magnus. So far none of this is going how Alec expected - not that Alec's had any real experience with something like this, but in the few relevant porn flicks he's watched, they'd pretty much just started getting it on. 

"First time?" Magnus asks. Alec realises he's reading through the form Alec submitted. 

There's a denial on the tip of his tongue, but Alec decides that it's probably in his own interests to be honest. "That obvious, huh? Was it my list?"

"It's alright. You'll be surprised how many people don't start out wanting to take a fist up their ass," Magnus teases. "It says here that you're ok with anal penetration, but you've also indicated that you don't really like to use toys."

"Yeah, they just feel... weird." In fact, Alec doesn't enjoy using them on himself because they feel fake and impersonal, and yet here he is, wanting to try out his secret bondage kink with a total stranger. This is such a bad idea, but it turns out that he is capable of even worse ones when face-to-face with a very attractive man. 

"What do you prefer me to use, then?" Magnus asks. "Fingers?" 

Alec clears his throat. "Actually, would it be out of the question to... I mean, I got tested, and we'd be using condoms of course..." 

Magnus looks a little surprised at first, but quickly recovers. "You could get me into trouble. We aren't supposed to have sex with our clients," he says coyly. 

Right. Because a dominant is technically engaged in sex work but isn't a prostitute; there were rules on the website reminding clients that they aren't supposed to even touch the dominant unless they're asked to, Alec knows this. "I'm sorry I asked, I didn't mean to offend you," Alec says nervously. 

"However," Magnus quickly amends, "I could make an exception for you. For the right price."

"Name it," Alec says without hesitation. 

Magnus arches an eyebrow at him and considers this while contemplating Alec's practical but obviously well-tailored clothes and shoes. "Five hundred, cash."

Alec nods jerkily, thankful that he's the sort of guy who usually brings around extra cash. 

Magnus smiles at him. "Deal. It'll be our little secret."

"Yes, of course," Alec says, mouth suddenly dry. Magnus looks expectantly at him, and Alec takes out his wallet to pay him, feeling a bit like he's lost his fucking mind. 

"Payment upfront is just smart business," Magnus says, and hands over the tablet. "Now, if everything else is in order, just sign here and we'll start the session."

"Wait, what do I call you?" Alec asks. 

"I would prefer if you don't call me 'daddy'," Magnus says quickly.

"Yeah, no. My dad is a jerk," Alec mutters. "And he makes me call him 'Sir'."

"Let's not go there, then," Magnus agrees easily. 

"Master?" Alec suggests tentatively, but it already feels clumsy and awkward in his mouth.

Magnus shakes his head. "A master and slave relationship is more involved than what you have in mind. You know what, let's not overthink this. Much like any relationship, nicknames often come with familiarity. Since you're new to this, we'll start simple - you can call me Magnus, and I'll call you Alec, and we'll take it from there. How's that?"

"Sounds good," Alec says, relieved. 

Magnus takes the tablet back and leans back in his chair, looking at Alec through half-lidded eyes, and suddenly he seems like a different person. "Good. Now strip."

\--

Alec isn't ashamed of how he looks. He works out, he's in good shape, and he knows he's reasonably good-looking. It isn't like he's never been naked in front of another guy. But getting undressed in front of someone who's just sitting there still fully dressed, and knowing what he wrote down on that form and what's to come, Alec's shivering by the time he's standing naked in front of Magnus and doesn't know where to put his hands. 

"Kneel. Face down on the bed and arms behind your back."

Alec kneels. He hears the rustle of Magnus taking off his jacket, then the sound of the wardrobe being opened. The silk rope is smooth and cool against his skin as Magnus binds his wrists together, then pulls him upright and winds double lines of rope twice around his arms and chest, framing his pecs. Magnus hauls him to his feet and turns him around before pushing him onto the bed, and Alec sees that under his jacket Magnus is wearing a leather vest with no shirt. 

"Put your knees up against your chest and spread your legs."

Magnus' arms flex in a mesmerising way as he quickly and deftly secures Alec's ankles to rope circling high on his upper thighs. Another length of rope that carefully frames Alec's knee caps is tied to the bed frame, forcing his legs apart as wide as they will go and leaving his ass and cock exposed. 

"Everything alright?" Magnus asks. 

Alec opens his mouth to reply, and is slightly derailed by the sight of the black ball-gag Magnus is holding. "Y-yes."

"Remember, if you really need me to stop, hum a song," Magnus says, leaning over Alec. "Now open up."

Magnus stands back to survey his handiwork. Alec is already half-hard from being like this, helplessly on display and completely at Magnus' mercy. Alec can't quite meet Magnus' eyes, but in trying to find somewhere else to look he notices a slight bulge in the front of Magnus' tight leather pants, and feels a little relieved that Magnus isn't entirely unaffected. 

"Beautiful," Magnus murmurs.

His hands slide down the insides of Alec's thighs, avoiding his cock, and smooths over the contours of Alec's ab muscles. He caresses Alec's shoulders and arms, and touches Alec so gently that Alec jumps when Magnus suddenly pinches his nipples lightly. Alec's brows furrow in confusion more than anything - he's never paid much attention to his nipples, because _normally_ it doesn't do much for him - and Magnus grins. 

"When I'm done with you, you'll see."

Magnus moves his hands down and finally, _finally_ wraps a hand around Alec's cock, the other hand playing with Alec's balls, and Alec lets his head fall back against the bed as Magnus slowly strokes him to full hardness. Magnus figures out what he likes pretty quickly, rubbing a thumb over the slit as he jerks him off, and Alec is just starting to get into it when Magnus lets go of him completely. Alec grunts, breathing hard, his cock twitching against his abs. 

"Not so fast, darling," Magnus says, and Alec feels a finger brushing against his entrance. "Besides, that's something you'll have to earn." 

Magnus goes back to teasing Alec's nipples, then playing with his balls, then lubes up Alec's cock and almost brings him off before leaving him hanging again. The sweat is beading on Alec's brow now, and Magnus rolls a nipple between the finger and thumb of one hand as he presses the tip of a lubed finger into Alec.

"Remember this feeling," Magnus says when he pushes a finger into Alec all the way to the second knuckle. "Sex is something you experience with your entire body, and you can get pleasure from more than just the obvious places." 

Magnus plays with his other nipple while he works a second finger inside him; then curls his fingers and finds Alec's prostate with unerring accuracy. And he's right - Alec's never going to be able to think back on Magnus' fingers mercilessly pressing right into the bundle of nerves inside him until the pleasure coils tight inside him without also remembering Magnus tugging on his nipples, tweaking and teasing. Magnus pulls out his fingers, leaving Alec wanting, and starts stroking Alec's cock again, bringing Alec right to the brink before stopping. He goes back to fucking Alec with three fingers, then adds a fourth, fingers still pinching and teasing Alec's nipples, and by now they're pink and tender from the stimulation. 

Alec's neglected cock is smearing precome all over his abs and he's struggling to catch his breath around the gag in his mouth, but lets out a moan when Magnus unzips his pants and pulls out a gorgeous, thick cock. If he could move, he'd spread his legs wider in invitation, but thankfully Magnus doesn't need one. 

"Are you ready for me?" Magnus asks as he rolls on a condom. Alec nods emphatically, moaning when Magnus presses the tip of his cock against his sensitive rim. 

"Do you think you've earned it?" 

Magnus pinches both of Alec's nipples at the same time, and Alec cries out into the gag in equal parts pain and pleasure. 

"Good boy," Magnus says, and thrusts in all the way in one smooth movement. 

And fuck it's good, it's so good. Magnus' cock feels incredible inside him, filling him up perfectly, and Alec feels the jolt of Magnus' body slamming into him in every fibre of his being. His nipples are on fire and his cock aches to be touched, and Magnus is pounding his prostate so hard that Alec is losing his mind. His almost there, _so_ close, but he can't do anything, can't touch himself - all he can do is lie there and let Magnus fuck him, helplessly taking that beautiful cock inside his ass over and over again, and it's that thought that finally sends Alec over the edge, coming untouched on Magnus' cock. 

Magnus fucks him through his orgasm, working one hand on his cock to milk out every last drop of come, and pulls out when Alec starts to whine. Alec's still trying to get his brain back online when Magnus is suddenly gone, leaving Alec tied up and gagged, a mess of come on his abs and his ass throbbing from the hard fucking he's just received. 

Figures that when he finally managed to have sex with the most gorgeous guy he's met, Alec had to pay him for it. Alec feels cold all of a sudden. 

But then Magnus is back again, removing the gag and releasing Alec from his restraints. "You did so well, Alec. Are you ok?"

Alec nods, still a little uncoordinated. Magnus massages Alec's limbs to get the circulation going until he can sit up, makes him drink a glass of water, then helps him up to the bathroom, where there's a steaming tub full of water waiting for him. Alec stares at the purple bathwater - it smells of sandalwood and lavender.

"Have you never used a bath bomb?" Magnus asks with a laugh at the expression on his face. "Enjoy your bath. I'll wait for you outside." 

Alec _does_ enjoy his bath. The temperature of the water is just right for his sore muscles, and the bath bomb makes the water slippery and colourful and fun, and Alec's honestly a bit dazed by all the swirling colours. He's almost reluctant to get out, but Magnus is waiting, and he doesn't want to keep him waiting. There's a big fluffy towel and bathrobe set out for him, and Alec finds Magnus reading something on his tablet when he finally emerges. All the stuff they used during the session is gone, and the bedspread has even been smoothed out. 

"Whiskey? Or a martini?" Magnus offers. 

"Whiskey."

Magnus pours an inch of amber liquid for each of them, and smiles reassuringly at Alec as he sits down gingerly. "How are you feeling?"

"Um. Ok, I guess."

"Only 'ok'?" Magnus complains, pouting. 

Alec blushes. "I mean, good. Really good. You're amazing, and incredible," he rambles on before he manages to stop himself, because he's apparently lost his mouth-to-brain filter in the purple bathwater.

Magnus laughs. "I aim to please," he says with a wink, before finishing his drink. "I've got to go to my next appointment, but you can stay in the room for as long as you want. Some people take a nap, it feels good after something so intense." 

Alec nods, trying not to show his disappointment. Magnus is probably very in-demand, and he's probably already stayed longer than he needed to because Alec is new to this. Magnus gets up and puts on his jacket, and Alec gets to his feet as well to open the door for Magnus, which seems to amuse him. 

"I'll see you around," Magnus says, but doesn't leave just yet. He hesitates, then leans forward to kiss Alec on the cheek, and then he's gone.


	2. the flower to the bee

_it is the pleasure of the bee to gather honey of the flower,_  
_but it is also the pleasure of the flower to yield its honey to the bee_

_\- Kahlil Gibran_

Alec spends two weeks being grouchy and generally making the lives of everyone around him a living hell. He snaps at his support staff and interns, and almost makes his new secretary cry when she makes a mess of his appointments for the day, and is so sullen at family dinner with his parents and siblings that Maryse asks if he's ill. 

"Alec, is something wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right?" Izzy asks him after, and Jace keeps very quiet because of course he probably knows what's eating away at Alec. 

"Just stressed about work. I'm fine," Alec lies, but he clearly isn't. 'Fine' isn't opening The Court's website two or three times a day, typing in his username and passcode and staring at the log-in button for ten minutes, his finger hovering above it until he lets out a groan and closes the incognito tab. 'Fine' isn't hiding in the office toilet with his hands down his boxers when he can't take it anymore, one hand clapped over his own mouth and frantically jerking off with his eyes closed and legs spread as wide as they will go with his pants tangled around his calves, imagining, remembering. 

His session with Magnus was everything he'd ever dreamt about and more, but part of him is starting to wish it'd sucked so that he wouldn't have to feel like this. Some of it is a complicated tangle of shame and guilt; annoyance at himself for feeling ashamed of what gets him off because it's really nobody's fucking business, but also deep-rooted old fears that there's something wrong with him, and the fact that he fantasises about having his control taken away from him and being fucked while he's helpless is just another symptom of his wrongness. But it's what happened after the sex that really gets him down - how caring Magnus was, and how it made Alec feel so taken care of, except that it was all just part of a service Alec paid for. Besides, that was easily the best sex Alec's had in his life, he's convinced that he's going to be comparing every partner after this to Magnus, and they're all going to come up short. 

It's reached a point where nobody comes into his office unless they absolutely have to, and most definitely not without an appointment, so he's a little surprised when someone knocks on his door first thing in the morning. 

"Yes?" 

Andrew Underhill, the company's operations manager, walks in with two cups of coffee, and Alec has to check his calendar to see if he's missed a meeting. Underhill sets one of the cups in front of Alec, and Alec stares. As financial manager, he works with Underhill when it's time to work out the quarterly budget, so they're acquainted but not exactly friends - certainly not friendly enough for Underhill to be buying him coffee. 

"I noticed that you didn't do your usual coffee run this morning," Underhill says.

"I was running a bit late today," Alec replies. Because he was fingering himself in the shower and getting increasingly frustrated that it didn't feel the same as when Magnus had done it. 

"Red eye, extra cream. Did I get that right?" Underhill asks. 

"Yeah, thanks." Alec frowns. "How much do I owe you?"

Underhill grins and shakes his head. "If the water cooler talk is anything to go by, I think I just racked up some karma points for myself by keeping you caffeinated."

Ok, that's embarrassing. If people are gossiping about Alec's behaviour, he's got to put a stop to it one way or another. And since ignoring the problem obviously isn't making it go away, Alec should just bite the bullet and admit it - he wants to see Magnus again. 

Underhill clears his throat, snapping Alec out of his reverie. "Say, do you want to go out for drinks sometime? Maybe Friday?" 

He kind of owes Underhill one for indirectly informing him about the office gossip, which Alec is hopeless at keeping up with, and having a friend at work could be nice. But Alec's already making plans for a booking at The Court, and a Friday booking would give Alec the weekend to recover - and given previous experience, Alec will definitely be needing it. 

"Rain check? I've got a, um, dental appointment," he tells Underhill. 

"Sure. Some other time, then," Underhill says with a smile, before letting himself out of the office. 

Alec runs a hand over his face. Fuck. He takes a deep breath and presses the button to call his secretary in. 

"Yes, Mr Lightwood?" she asks nervously. "I'm sorry for letting Mr Underhill in without an appointment but he said that he would be very quick."

"No, it's not that. Could you please get one of the interns to do a coffee run for everyone in the office? Just put the bill on my card."

"Oh! Sure," she says, bewildered, and starts to leave. 

"Um, and- Lindsay, was it?" he says, halting her in her tracks. 

"Yes, sir? Is there anything else?" 

"I'm sorry for shouting at you last week. I've just been a bit stressed out about the forecasts, but that's no excuse for losing my temper at you."

"Oh, that's ok, sir. I did make a mistake," Lindsay mumbles.

"We all do at some point, what matters is how we fix them afterwards, and you did. What I did was not acceptable, and I'm sorry," Alec says firmly.

"Ok. Um, thank you," she says with a tentative smile. 

Alec clears his throat. "By the way, I'm taking a day off on Friday. Please block it out on my calendar." 

"Right away, sir," she says. 

When she's gone, Alec takes a deep breath and pulls up The Court's website on his phone, then realises that he'll have to detail what he wants Magnus to do to him, and escapes to the toilet to complete his booking, among other things, his coffee long forgotten.

\--

Waiting in the hotel room for Magnus a second time isn't any less nerve-wracking. He's half afraid that Magnus won't show, and he's already worked himself up into such a state that he's not sure what he's going to do with himself if Magnus really does't turn up or someone else comes instead. Thankfully, Magnus shows up right on time, wearing a slightly flashier leather jacket with black sequins in the collar and across the shoulders, and a streak of bright gold in his hair to match his eyeliner. 

"Hi," Alec says, and maybe it's just Alec's imagination but Magnus seems happy to see him too. 

"Hi yourself. I must admit, I was hoping that you'd be back. Looks like I was more than 'ok' then," Magnus teases as he walks into the room. 

Alec takes out an envelope from his jacket pocket and hands it to Magnus. "Five hundred, cash. Just like the last time. I mean, if it's still alright."

A strange expression flits across Magnus' face, gone before Alec can place it. 

"Of course. What can I do for you today, Alec?" Magnus asks. 

It becomes a regular thing. Every other week, for two months, Alec makes a booking at The Court to let Magnus tie him up, gag him, and fuck him so hard that he forgets his name. After their sessions, Magnus prepares the bath and lingers for a while to make sure Alec is ok, and he always kisses Alec on the cheek before leaving. But Alec can't help noticing that Magnus never climaxes in his presence, always pulling away once Alec has finished, and Alec suspects that Magnus uses the time that he's preparing the bathwater to cool off. Perhaps it's some sort of professional etiquette, that Magnus feels that he shouldn't get off while servicing a client, but it still makes him feel a little disappointed, like a part of Magnus remains forever locked away. 

"Alec, not that I'm complaining about being paid very handsomely to spend time with you, but the relationship between a dominant and submissive is more than just kink, and I'm fairly sure you would be able to take your interests further with someone you actually cared about," Magnus says one day, just before he leaves. 

"Oh. Are you saying that you don't want to? We can stop," Alec says, heart sinking. Alec has been trying to get new ideas on what to do during their sessions from porn, but he'd been starting to worry that Magnus was going to get bored of him. Why would he not? 

"I don't mean that," Magnus says quickly, but he sounds disappointed. "Never mind. Forget that I brought it up, it doesn't matter." 

He kisses Alec briefly on the cheek and he's gone before Alec's managed to get his orgasm-fucked brain to function enough to ask Magnus what he means. 

Alec briefly entertains the idea that maybe Magnus is saying he wants something more with him, but that's ridiculous. Magnus is, well, _Magnus_. He's probably got hordes of suitors, if he's even interested in a relationship. There must be some way that Alec is falling short, but Alec doesn't know anything about what is expected in a dominant-submissive relationship to even know where to start researching. It's honestly his last resort, but Alec brings it up with Jace the next time he gives his brother a lift home from family dinner since Jace is the only other person he knows who's into this sort of thing. 

"Hey, has that guy you're with at The Court ever brought up wanting more?" Alec asks Jace. 

Jace freezes like a deer in the headlights. "What?" 

Alec fixes his eyes straight ahead on the traffic. "The guy I'm with says that there's more to it than just kink. I know that the ideas I come up with are too tame, but I don't think that's what he means." 

"Wait, are you describing every session, like, in detail?" Jace huffs. "You do know that you don't have to fill that part of the form in, right?" 

"...I don't?" 

"Maybe your guy is upset because you're topping from the bottom," Jace says. 

Alec frowns in confusion. "I'm what? And why did you just assume that- I mean, there's no sex involved, there's not supposed to be any sex involved," he mumbles. 

Jace claps his hands over his ears and groans. "I'm not talking about sex positions or who's doing what to who, and please for the fucking love of god, _don't tell me_. I don't want to know."

"Who's doing what to _whom_ ," Alec corrects him automatically. "And if you're not talking about that, what are you talking about?"

"I mean that you're doing your usual control-freak thing trying to dictate everything that happens during the session, that you're only doing what _you_ want to do," Jace says. "I mean, yeah, consent blah blah, but that's what your hard limits are for. You don't trust him enough to let go, and I'm not saying that isn't smart when you barely know the guy, but I guess it starts feeling kinda shitty if you've been scening together for a while."

"Oh." He can see why that might upset Magnus, but Alec _does_ trust him, without a shadow of doubt, possibly from the first time they met. "And you're saying that you trust this Meliorn guy?" Alec asks. 

Jace lets out a bark of laughter. "Probably not in most things, but to stop when I really mean it, yeah."

A long, awkward silence settles in the car, both of them studiously keeping their eyes on the road. 

"Did I answer your question?" Jace finally asks. 

"Yeah," Alec replies quickly. 

Jace lets out a sigh of relief. "Fucking fantastic. Let's never talk about this ever again."

\--

For the first time in two months, Alec is nervous about his upcoming session with Magnus. He feels like his skin is pulled too tight over his entire body and he can't seem to breathe, and that's even before Magnus knocks on the door. 

What little oxygen left in the room vanishes the moment Magnus sweeps into the room dressed to kill, his leather pants even tighter than usual and with a stripe of violent pink in his hair. It feels like a storm is about to break overhead, and Alec isn't ready for it at all.

"You didn't write down what you wanted to do today," Magnus says, voice completely calm as he takes off his jacket to reveal a leather vest that's barely held closed with criss-crossing black string in the front, showing off Magnus' broad chest and toned abs. 

It takes every single ounce of steel Alec has keep his voice steady when he replies, "You're the professional. So I thought I'd leave it up to you to suggest something."

Magnus' eyebrows go up. "Me? You want me to decide what I want to do with you?" 

Alec swallows nervously. "I- yes." 

Magnus' grin is teasing as he saunters towards Alec, and it grows wider when Alec keeps his head up, chin high, and meets Magnus' gaze squarely. Magnus steps close enough to kiss, and turns his head to whisper in Alec's ear, his breath tickling the fine hairs at Alec's nape. "Don't be so quick to sign yourself over to me. But I can take charge this time, before you decide."

Alec's throat is so dry that it takes him two tries to respond. "Ok."

Magnus hums, tapping on his chin as he walks around Alec, as if deciding what to do with him, and Alec gets the distinct feeling that Magnus is messing with him. Magnus eventually walks to the wardrobe where all the rope and equipment are kept. "I'll keep to the same limits you've indicated, except that I'd like to add a massage wand vibrator." Magnus extracts the item from the wardrobe for Alec to see - it looks like an oversized microphone, and Alec has seen it in porn ads, although he thought they were mostly used on women. 

"Sure."

Magnus places the vibrator on the bed, in clear view, then settles imperiously into a chair. "You know what to do," he says in a tone that sends a shiver down Alec's spine. 

Alec's gaze keeps drifting to the vibrator as he strips and kneels at the foot of the bed with his arms behind his back, his cock already rock hard from the anticipation of the unknown. Magnus makes him wait, leaving him in position for an indeterminable time before getting up from his seat to secure Alec with the usual rope around his wrists, arms, and upper body. Alec reminds himself to keep taking deep breaths while Magnus works him open briskly and efficiently with one, then two lubed fingers, but promptly gets the breath knocked out of him when Magnus suddenly hauls him by his bindings and practically throws him halfway on the bed such that his entire upper body is on the mattress and his ass is sticking out. Alec hears the telltale crinkle of a foil wrapper, then Magnus spreads his ass cheeks and pushes the tip of his cock in with no warning. 

Alec gasps; usually Magnus takes his time, teasing him with fingers until Alec would be begging if he could speak. Now, although Magnus has prepped him, Alec is still pretty tight, and Magnus' cock feels almost too large to fit. Alec tries to relax around the intrusion but he can't even take Magnus all in one go as he usually does, and he can't help moaning at the slight sting as Magnus works him open on his cock, making him take a little more with every thrust. By the time Magnus is finally fully seated inside him, Alec's cock is already smearing a wet patch of precome on the bed where it's trapped between his body and the mattress. He bites down on his lips to stop himself from making any noise when Magnus starts fucking him slowly, giving him some time to adjust, then Magnus snaps his hips, harder, then harder still, and Alec presses his face into the bed to muffle his cries as Magnus pounds him into the bed. 

Every thrust makes his cock rub against the bed but it's not nearly enough friction, so when Magnus wraps an arm around his hips to lift them several inches off the bed and starts jerking him off with the other hand, Alec can't quite stifle a gasp of relief. Magnus' cock is still hard inside him, and it only takes a few strokes for Alec to come gracelessly into Magnus' fist. 

"You were too keyed up. But now that I've taken the edge off, I can take my time with you," Magnus explains, his hands running down Alec's chest to give his nipples a tweak. 

Magnus eases out of Alec, and leaves him lying there for a while, limp and breathless. In a few moments, Magnus returns to guide Alec into a kneeling position on the bed, using a length of rope to suspend Alec's upper body from the cross beams at the top of the four-poster. More rope goes around Alec's ankles and secures them to the posts on either side of the bed, spreading his legs wide, and then Magnus comes up to him with a gag they've never used before - a ring gag. 

That's technically not what Alec was thinking of when he indicated that he was ok with gags - the point is to make less noise, not more. He looks up and Magnus arches an eyebrow at him, but doesn't push it on him. Alec knows Magnus is giving him the chance to tap out now, but then Alec would have failed the point of this exercise. This isn't just about what _he_ wants, he reminds himself, and honestly the ring gag isn't a hard 'no'. Alec opens his mouth obediently, letting Magnus fit the plastic ring between his teeth, and Magnus hums in approval.

Magnus moves behind Alec, between his legs, and there's a buzzing sound that Alec soon recognises as the vibrator. But instead of going straight for his ass as Alec is expecting, Magnus presses the broad head of the wand to his shoulders, down his back, up and down the back of his legs, then back up to the meaty part of his ass. He runs the vibrator down the front of Alec's body as well, lingering on his nipples but giving his cock a wide berth. It's soothing for now, but Alec knows that it's eventually going to end up being pressed against his entrance, and the anticipation is making him restless, unable to fully give in to the massage. By the time Magnus finally slides the vibrator between his ass cheeks, he's half hard again - and fuck, even on a low setting, he's feeling too sensitive after being so recently fucked. Alec grunts and tries to twist away, but Magnus keeps the vibrator pressed to his entrance, gradually increasing the intensity until Alec is panting through the gag with the effort of trying not to whine. 

Alec gets a brief respite while Magnus is doing something behind him involving another length of rope, but when Magnus presses the vibrator back against his hole, Alec jerks in his bindings and lets out a loud groan. To his horror, when Magnus steps away the vibrator is still firmly pressed into him - there's no escape from its relentless stimulation, and Alec gives up trying to stay quiet. Magnus pulls up a chair right in front of him and settles into it with a smile. His cock is straining inside his pants but he is dressed and perfectly put together, admiring the sight of Alec trussed up, naked, and futilely trying to squirm away from the vibrator. 

"It could feel good if you let it," Magnus tells him. 

Alec shakes his head, still trying to pull away from it. 

" _Alec_." There's an edge of command in his voice again. 

Alec whines, but he forces himself to stop struggling. He's supposed to submit to Magnus' will, and he trusts Magnus. He takes a deep breath and presses himself back onto the vibrator as much as he can, and Magnus is right; it stops feeling ticklish and too much, and starts to feel good. He stops biting down on the ring gag, then tentatively grinds down on it a little, and he can't stop the moan of pleasure that escapes when it catches on his rim. 

"That's it, good boy. Let yourself feel it," Magnus murmurs. He unzips his pants, freeing his cock. 

Magnus rewards him by playing with his own balls a little, giving his cock a few strokes and putting his cock on full display for Alec. It's a beautiful cock, thick and uncut, and the vein on the underside is so prominent Alec can only imagine what it would feel like to have it throbbing against his tongue. Alec wants to put his mouth on that cock so badly that he starts to salivate, and his cheeks burn when some drool drips onto the bed. He stops moving, and Magnus' hands immediately still as well. 

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Alec. I like to see how much you're enjoying yourself." 

Alec grinds back against the vibrator wand again, trying to let go and lose himself in the sensations. He can feel the vibrations faintly all the way to his prostate when he presses back hard enough, but it's the way that the wand rubs at the rim of his entrance that sends a shockwave of pleasure through him, and his cock is fully hard again. He's still loose from Magnus fucking him, and there's a lot of lube for the wand vibrator to slide around in, but there's no way something that big is going to fit... or will it? Alec closes his eyes and imagines fucking himself on the broad head - it's huge, bigger than anything he's ever taken, and the thought of being stretched out on it is making his cock twitch. 

"Open your eyes, Alec. Eyes on me." 

Alec's eyes fly open. Magnus is touching himself again, light strokes that are more teasing than anything, and he's obviously drinking in the sight of Alec desperately rocking onto the vibrator. It's not enough; Alec can still feel the ache from the first fucking and he _needs_ Magnus' cock back inside him again. He moans, eyes fixed on Magnus and wishing he could tell Magnus what he wants, grinding backward on the wand with abandon. There's a long string of saliva trailing from Alec's mouth to the bed, but he finds that he doesn't really care anymore - as long as Magnus keeps his eyes on him, as long as Magnus is pleased with him, as long as Magnus lets him come on his cock.

"So good for me," Magnus murmurs, and finally stands up to climbs up on the bed behind Alec. 

The vibrator is removed, and Alec's barely had a chance to catch his breath before Magnus thrusts right into him. Alec cries out, and he hopes the walls are sound-proofed because otherwise everyone can definitely hear him shouting as Magnus grips him by the hips and pounds his ass. His entrance is hyper-sensitive from the vibrator, all the better to feel the slide of Magnus' cock fucking into him, and it's good, _so_ good. The whole room is filled with the noises he's making and the filthy slap of skin against skin, and Alec can feel his second orgasm coiling tight inside his gut. He pushes back against Magnus, trying to fuck himself on Magnus' cock, and this time it's Magnus who cries out in pleasure. 

Magnus thrusts in deep and holds himself inside Alec, one hand going to pinch a nipple while the other jerks Alec off. "Come for me, Alexander," he says, and Alec comes. 

It's a bit of a haze after that - Magnus removing the gag and releasing him from his bonds, and laying him gently on the bed. Alec dozes off briefly, and comes back to Magnus massaging the feeling back into his wrists. 

"How are you feeling?" 

"Good," Alec manages to say, blinking his eyes open to find Magnus hovering over him, and he's struck by the sudden urge to kiss Magnus, except that it wouldn't be appropriate - right? 

Magnus smiles at him, gently brushing a lock of hair off Alec's forehead. "Don't worry. I'm going to take very good care of you, Alexander."


	3. heart

_pleasure is a freedom-song_  
_and I fain would have you sing it with fullness of heart_  
_yet I would not have you lose your hearts in the singing_

_\- Kahlil Gibran_

Magnus has given him "homework". The first time that Alec had gone through the list of kinks and interests, he'd only selected four. This time, Magnus has asked him to indicate the items that are hard limits, absolute 'no's, and Alec has to try to keep this new list to only four items as well. The whole list is extensive but The Court is still a business, so some things aren't included - nothing illegal, and no activities that will compromise the health and safety of their staff and clients, which basically excludes everything to do with bodily fluids and excretions.

"Pick wisely," Magnus had told him. "Some kinks incite a visceral reaction in us because we're ashamed that they turn us on. I want you to be honest with yourself, but you don't have to justify or explain yourself to me. If you really must pick more than four, that's fine too - don't be afraid to say 'no' to me, and I promise you that I won't do anything that makes me uncomfortable either, even if you're paying me."

Alec crosses out verbal humiliation and degradation immediately - as if a lifetime of beating himself up over everything isn't enough. Group sex doesn't seem all that appealing either, since he kind of prefers keeping this thing with Magnus just between the two of them. He considers everything else very carefully, trying to keep an open mind and imagining how it might feel like to experience them with... a certain someone, and surprises even himself to find that some things could be pretty hot in the right scenario. For example, getting tattooed in some hidden place as part of a play session, a permanent reminder that he'd had the guts to put himself out there and that for all his reputation for being too serious and boring, there's a side of Alec Lightwood that not everybody gets to see; or role-playing some sort of medieval royalty scene a la _Game of Thrones_ , which could end up being really silly but fun. Pain he can take, and isn't something he's afraid of. Some things are simply baffling to him, like dressing up as an animal or wearing diapers, but he leaves them in since he doesn't really have an opinion either way. In the end, he only crosses out two things. 

"Are you sure?" Magnus asks, sounding worried even after he's gone through the entire list with Alec to make sure he knows what he's signing off on. "I hope you weren't afraid that I'd be disappointed or upset with you."

Alec shrugs. "It's you. I trust you."

Magnus' eyes widen a little, and for a long while he just looks at Alec like it's the first time he's seeing him. Then Magnus blinks and seems to give himself a little shake, before moving towards the wardrobe to rummage through the equipment there. He keeps his back towards Alec, and he's quiet for so long that Alec starts to worry that Magnus is definitely judging him for saying ok to almost everything on the list. 

"Magnus, is everything ok?"

"Yes. Yes, of course," Magnus replies, turning around with a reassuring but carefully neutral smile that Alec has come to think of as Magnus' professional smile, except that it softens into a genuine smile almost immediately. 

Magnus places three items on the bed - a curved toy that Alec thinks might be a prostate massager, nipple clamps, and a cock ring.

"Why don't we play a game?" Magnus says.

\--

The game becomes a mainstay of their sessions together, usually brought out when Magnus wants to introduce new things. Magnus puts out three items, a mix of things they've tried before and haven't tried before, and if Alec lets Magnus try all of them on him, he is duly rewarded, although sometimes the reward is in the game itself. Through the game, Alec develops a love-hate relationship with nipple clamps, and decides that dildos are still never as good as the real thing. The jury is still out on whether he has feet kink - Magnus' feet are as elegant as the rest of the man, but Alec suspects he's into them only because they're a part of Magnus, and Alec is into everything about Magnus. Perhaps the most surprising discovery for Alec is that that he has a favourite way of being tied up when Magnus starts using shibari ties on him. The intricate and beautiful pattern of ropes and knots wrapped around his whole body don't feel like restraints; they feel like a safety net Magnus has woven around him, to catch him when he falls. 

And that's how Alec finds himself one Friday afternoon - gagged, blindfolded, wrists tied firmly behind his back, and with lengths of hemp rope braided and woven all around his body. A knot strategically placed behind his balls is pressing on his prostate from the outside, and Magnus has also bound his cock and balls with rope, keeping his cock achingly hard and hypersensitive - a feeling intensified because Magnus had to carefully shave off his pubic hair at the beginning their session (and that was definitely an experience in its own right, leaving Alec shivering from adrenaline by the time Magnus was done). Magnus has tied Alec with his legs bent at the knees and kept spread as wide as they'll go by ropes attached to the chair, and the curve of his ass is precariously perched right at the edge of the chair he's bound to. A cleave gag - a silk scarf pulled between Alec's teeth and tied behind his head - depresses his tongue but keeps Alec from being able to close his mouth fully. The room is quiet except for Alec's heavy breathing, the wet sound of lube, and soft clinking noises made by the chain that links the pair of heavy clover clamps Alec is wearing on his nipples whenever his ab muscles jump involuntarily from Magnus massaging his prostate lightly with the pads of two fingers.

The veins in Alec's neck are popping, his back arched and entire body pulled taut from the struggle between needing to come but not wanting to come just yet. Magnus blows gently on the head of Alec's cock, and Alec cries out around the gag, jerking violently in his bonds.

Magnus pulls the cloth gag out. "Do you want to come on my fingers or on my cock?" he asks. 

"M-Magnus, Magnus, _please_." 

"Fingers or cock, Alexander," Magnus repeats patiently. 

"Cock," Alec gasps. 

Magnus withdraws his fingers from Alec's body, and Alec bites down on his lips to stop from crying out at the sudden loss. 

The first time Magnus had asked Alec if he wanted to come on his fingers and Alec had said 'no', Magnus had shaved him and bound Alec's cock and balls. The second time, he'd put the pair of nipple clamps on Alec. Which leaves only one more toy that Magnus has laid out on the bed but hasn't used - a black suede flogger. 

Magnus replaces the gag. Alec waits, ears straining to hear Magnus' soft footsteps on the hard wood floor, wondering if the flogger will whistle through the air when it's swung, just before it makes contact with his skin. Then Magnus' footsteps grow nearer, and Alec's first instinct is to curl inwards to protect his vulnerable parts, but he can't - not when he's tied up like this with his hands behind his back and his legs forced wide, exposing his aching hole and bound cock and balls to Magnus' mercy. If Magnus blowing on the head of his cock felt like _that_ , he can't imagine what being hit by a flogger will feel like, and his cock and balls throb just with the thought of it. 

Alec jumps at the first contact, but it's not what he's expecting. Magnus lets the strands of soft but heavy material trail gently from his left shoulder to the right, and back again, then repeats the motion a little lower, across his chest. The soft leather brushes against his clamped nipples, and Alec moans around his gag. 

"So tense," Magnus chides, moving the flogger like a paintbrush from Alec's navel up to his chest, painting a broad stroke of sensation. Under his ministrations, every single nerve-ending comes alight; Magnus is the artist and Alec is not just his canvas but his masterpiece. 

If Magnus hadn't laid out the items before the session and Alec hadn't known what it was that Magnus was holding in hands, Alec doubts that it would have this effect on him. The power of the flogger lies in its potential to cause pain, and in Alec's dizzy awareness that he has surrendered all control over his pain and his pleasure to Magnus. By the time Magnus brushes the flogger against Alec's inner thighs, he's starting to hyperventilate, but the thought of calling a stop never crosses his mind. 

"You're doing so well, Alexander. I wish you could see how beautiful you are like this," Magnus murmurs in a low voice. "Breathe for me. Slow, easy breaths."

Alec can't stop himself from tensing up when the flogger brushes against his hole and his balls, but he forces himself to relax by increments, to stop fighting the ropes that are starting to bite into his skin. The rhythm of the leather sweeping across his body is almost hypnotic, and Magnus hums in approval when Alec finally goes limp. 

"That's it. Just concentrate on how it feels," Magnus says, and sweeps the flogger over Alec's cock. Alec cries out again and jerks against his bonds, but he's feeling oddly floaty and relaxed, and right now he'd let Magnus do anything to him if he wanted to.

His head lolls backwards and his mind starts to drift - everything is dark, except the bright points of pain-pleasure in his nipples and his cock. He drifts until Magnus removes the rope around his cock and balls, and then all the blood rushes back and he lets out a low moan, shivering and shuddering while Magnus massages the feeling back into them with warm, slick hands.

Alec follows Magnus' lead on slightly wobbly legs to a couch, where he is pulled down onto Magnus' lap, and his feet are positioned so that they are braced on either side of Magnus' thighs. Something hard presses into the dip of his entrance, and it is only then that Magnus removes the blindfold. He blinks, bleary-eyed, and sees that there's a mirror in front of them, and he's watching himself being guided onto Magnus' cock. 

"You've been so good for me, I'm going to let you fuck yourself on my cock until you come," Magnus says, fingers winding around the chain attached to Alec's nipples and tugging on it like a leash.

Alec groans and sinks down on Magnus' cock, slowly taking the full length of it into his body. Despite all the teasing, Magnus has only used two fingers to finger him, and his cock is thicker than that. Magnus gives Alec a moment to savour the stretch, then tugs on Alec's nipples again, and Alec follows the pull of the chain to lift himself off Magnus' lap, letting Magnus' cock slide halfway out of his body before slamming down and impaling himself on Magnus' cock again, and again, and again.

Alec can barely recognise the person in the mirror as himself - this person with ropes wound around him to draw attention to his pecs and ab muscles like he's a picture in a frame, shamelessly riding a beautiful man's cock in pursuit of his own pleasure. Magnus keeps a firm grip on the chain pulling on his nipples, and Alec's swollen cock bobs obscenely in the reflection, aching to be touched. But his legs are stiff from being bound and he can't fuck himself on Magnus' cock hard enough or fast enough, and Alec's muscles are burning. He lets out a helpless whine and grinds down desperately on Magnus' cock. 

"Shhh, I've got you," Magnus murmurs. 

Magnus grabs Alec by the hips, holding him still, then places a hand on his chest to encourage him to lean his full weight onto Magnus before gently pushing his knees apart, spreading Alec's legs to their limit. 

"Look in the mirror, Alexander," Magnus commands, then jerks his hips up sharply, thrusting his cock into Alec. 

Magnus seems to know Alec's body better than Alec does, immediately finding the right angle to pound into Alec's prostate. And if that wasn't overwhelming enough, Alec now has a clear view of how the lines of rope form a suggestive diamond-shaped frame around his hole, and Alec can't tear his eyes away from the image in the mirror of Magnus' cock sliding in and out of him, how his entrance looks pink and stretched around the girth of Magnus' cock. Then Magnus starts fondling his balls in one hand while jerking him off with the other, and Alec throws his head back and cries out wordlessly, mind going blissfully blank as he gives in to pure sensation - of Magnus fucking him, of Magnus touching him, of Magnus wringing every last drop of pleasure from him until he's hoarse from shouting. He clenches down hard on Magnus' cock as he spills his release into Magnus' fist, and the gasp of pleasure he surprises out of Magnus is his ultimate reward.

This time, Magnus actually has to help Alec into the bathtub, and doesn't leave Alec alone. He keeps up a stream of idle chatter, talking about inconsequential things, and doesn't seem to mind that Alec mostly responds with monosyllabic grunts. Alec usually appreciates having some time alone to gather his thoughts, but right now he's glad that Magnus is perched on the side of the tub talking about superhero movies.

He's never shaved his pubic hair before, and it feels really weird, and the usual aches and soreness that comes with a session feels bone deep today. Perhaps it's because he's only just realised how far he'd really let Magnus go with him, and for someone who's always been self-sufficient and prides himself for his self-control, it's... a lot. 

"I've always liked Iron Man, although I'd also settle for Loki," Magnus is saying, and seems pleased when Alec suddenly contributes, "I like Hawkeye." 

Magnus smiles. "It does suit you, somehow."

Alec shrugs. "He's an archer. I like archery." 

Alec is usually pretty content with hanging out in a bathrobe until he goes home, but today he needs to get properly dressed, and if he's honest with himself, he sort of misses the security of the rope. Alec is expecting Magnus to leave now, but he doesn't, pouring them both a glass of whiskey instead. 

"Do you need to talk about our session?" he asks gently. 

Alec accepts the glass but doesn't drink, thinking. "Am I supposed to keep myself shaved?" 

"Or waxed. It would be more comfortable for you, for some of the things I want to try," Magnus acknowledges. "Does it bother you?" 

"Is it weird that after all... that," Alec says, gesturing vaguely, "the shaving is what affected me the most?" 

"No. Most of the rope marks and sensations will have faded in a day or two, but hair will take a while to grow back. It makes it feel like what happened during our session is crossing over into your normal life, and some people are uncomfortable with the reminder."

_Of you. Of us._ But is that really a bad thing? Sometimes Alec walks out of the lobby of The Court and it feels like if he glanced backwards he would see an ordinary hotel, as if everything that happened here was all a dream.

"Ok. I'm ok," Alec finally says. 

Magnus drains his glass in a slightly undignified gulp. "Actually, there was something that I wanted to ask you. I know we usually have our sessions on a Friday, but I have been invited to attend a public play session in one of The Court's dungeons, and I was wondering if you would want to attend it with me," he says, and quickly adds, "We wouldn't have to participate. It's a masquerade party, and having more spectators makes it more exciting." 

"So I'm going as your... slave?"

Magnus hesitates, and Alec senses that he has a different answer on his mind when he finally replies, "Whatever you want. I'll let you decide." 

"And then we'll just continue with our session as normal? Or is the party part of it?"

Magnus shrugs. "As I said, it's up to you." 

"Isn't this like me, um, topping from the bottom?" 

Magnus laughs brightly at that. "Where did you learn that from? Please don't tell me you've been reading _Fifty Shades of Grey_ , because I could suggest much better reading material." 

"No, it was something my brother said," Alec mumbles, embarrassed. 

"Well, I'm glad you have someone you're comfortable talking to about this, but I believe that the relationship between a dominant and a submissive is a partnership, a conversation. You have every right to communicate your likes and dislikes - although preferably not _during_ the session," Magnus says, playfully waggling a finger at him. "It's easy to forget this, but a submissive isn't lesser, or weaker. I may be in control of what happens to you during a session, but _you_ decide how much power you want to trust me with. Besides, your satisfaction is my satisfaction."

Alec nods slowly. "Ok, then yes to the party, but I don't think I'd be comfortable wearing weird stuff in public, unless it's not something obvious."

"I'll think of something," Magnus agrees with a grin. 

\-- 

Alec's frowning at spreadsheets one evening when there's a knock on his office door and Lindsay pops her head in. "I'm off, Mr Lightwood."

Alec nods absently. "Alright, thanks. See you tomorrow." 

"By the way, I heard from Mrs Penhallow's secretary that she's going to set up separate evaluation meetings with all the department managers, but you hadn't asked me to block out your usual afternoon off this Friday, so I just went ahead and blocked it for you." 

"Oh. Thanks, Lindsay," Alec says, giving her a slightly embarrassed smile. 

"You could thank me with a raise," she suggests cheekily. 

Alec huffs out a laugh. "I'll think about it."

"Bye, Mr Lightwood. Don't stay too late," Lindsay says, waving as she leaves. 

He hears her greet someone outside and say, "Yes, he's still in."

There's a knock on the door, and Underhill walks in. "Here're the reports you needed for the budget," Underhill says, holding out a folder to Alec.

"Thanks," Alec says, frowning. "You didn't have to come all the way to my office to pass them to me personally." 

"But I did have to come all the way here to ask you about that rain check. I mean, it's been a while, and you never did get back to me," Underhill says, looking down at the carpet. "It's ok if you really don't want to, though."

"No, I do. Sorry, I did mean to get back to you, I've just been busy," Alec says quickly.

Underhill smiles, relieved. "Ok, then how about this Friday?"

Alec blinks. "Oh. I've got a dental appointment."

Underhill raises an eyebrow. "Another one?" 

Fuck. He'd forgotten that he'd used the same excuse the last time. "Um, yeah. I had a lot of, y'know..." Alec says, gesturing in the general region of his mouth.

"Holes that needed filling?" 

Alec makes a strangled sound, hastily covering it up with a fake cough. "Yeah, that. How about Sunday evening instead?" 

"Sounds good. It's a date," Underhill says with a smile, and leaves.

Alec's brows furrow briefly but he shrugs it off. That's probably just a turn of phrase, he's being too literal. Besides, he's come to find that the days immediately after a session with Magnus are especially hard to bear. He could use a distraction, and having drinks with a new friend sounds like just the thing.

\--

Alec turns up at The Court on Friday in dark jeans and a black button-up, and immediately feels woefully underdressed because Magnus walks in dressed in a black velvet suit - with his shirt unbuttoned, but still. Alec quickly stops worrying about clothing altogether because Magnus is barely through the door when he pushes Alec against the wall, slots his thigh between Alec's legs and unzips his fly, then jerks him off, hard and fast. 

Alec is still trying to catch his breath when Magnus slides something cold and metallic over his balls and spent cock, and Alec looks down just in time to see Magnus locking the cock cage in place with a stupidly tiny key.

Magnus steps back, twirling the key while surveying his handiwork. "One more thing," he says, and takes out a thin strip of black leather from his pocket - a collar, with a metal ring in front. 

Alec stares at it at swallows hard. It could be taken as just another prop, but the way that Magnus looks up at Alec, uncharacteristically serious, makes it feel as momentous as if he were holding out a promise ring. Alec nods, tilting his chin up to give Magnus space to work. 

Magnus undoes the top few buttons of Alec's shirt and slips the collar around his neck. Alec keeps his chin up as Magnus buckles it, and he feels arousal stirring inside his gut again just from this, from letting Magnus put his claim on him. When he's done, Magnus buttons Alec shirt back up and pulls up his jeans, tucking Alec's caged cock in carefully before zipping him up.

In the mirror, Alec is relieved to see that even though Magnus has left the top button of his shirt undone, his shirt is dark enough that the edge of the leather collar doesn't stand out, and would probably look like a fashion accessory to people outside the community. The weight of the metal cage fixed around his balls and cock is insistent, constant, and Alec already knows it's going to occupy his mind for most of the evening, but for all its affect on him, the slight bulge of it at the front of his pants isn't that obvious, partially covered by his untucked shirt. Magnus joins him in his reflection - the key to the cock cage is dangling from a chain around Magnus' neck, gleaming against the warm bare skin of his abs.

"Ready for me to show you off? Magnus asks lightly, handing Alec an elaborate black and gold mask that will cover most of his face except his mouth.

Alec takes a deep breath and lets it out. "Yes, Magnus," he answers quietly, but from his tone of voice, he could have been calling him "Master" instead.

Magnus' shock is obvious even with his half-mask on, but then he recovers and smiles. "Good. Follow me." 

The dungeon looks like some sort of Victorian-era sitting room, with dark rose damask wallpaper and dark wood floors dimly lit with warm light. There are plenty of chaise lounges for the spectators, and someone is walking around serving red wine. It could be a normal masked party except that there's a strange chair in the centre of the room with leg stirrups that looks like it'd be more appropriate in a gynaecologist's clinic, and the guy who's serving everyone drinks, presumably the star of the session, is naked except for a chastity belt and has his hands cuffed behind his back, the tray of drinks held up by chains attached to his nipple clamps while his dominatrix leads him around the room. 

Not everyone is here with a partner, and the guests are dressed in a mixture of normal clothes and leather corsets, but everybody seems to know Magnus. Alec keeps his head down and lets Magnus lead them to a seat right in the corner, where they can easily slip away unobtrusively. It's only then that Alec belatedly realises that there's a chance that Jace might be here too with his dom, which would be really fucking awkward. 

Magnus seems to sense his unease. "Most of the people here are staff of The Court, and some are friends or partners of the staff. No clients." 

Except Alec, and the guy who is paying to have a tray of wine glasses hanging off his nipples. Alec glances around, and the looks he's getting make more sense now, although he thinks it's both curiosity and envy. The lights are turned down lower and a spotlight comes on above the chair. The show starts, but Alec isn't paying attention. To be honest, he's kind of dying inside from secondhand embarrassment as the sub is made to beg for a flogging while his dominatrix inserts sounding toys into his dick.

Magnus, always attentive, places a hand on Alec's thigh. "Give me a colour."

"Green," Alec replies quickly. 

"You don't like the way she's calling him names?" Magnus guesses, then leans so close that Alec feels his breath on his neck. "If that were you in that chair, I would be telling everyone to admire how beautiful and full your cock looks with the toy inside it. I can already imagine the lovely sounds you'll make, how well your skin will take the marks I give you."

Alec squirms, closing his eyes, his cock starting to get hard despite its confines. Magnus puts a hand on his hips and urges Alec to sit in his lap, and for a moment Alec resists - until he realises that the couples around them are also starting their own play. Nobody is paying any mind to what he's doing with Magnus, and besides nobody knows who he is. Feeling a little bolder, Alec settles in Magnus' lap and grinds his ass against Magnus' cock. Magnus pinches his nipples through his shirt and Alec grinds down harder, and isn't it weird that not being able to get properly hard is making him even hornier? 

At the end of the session, the dominatrix invites everyone to sign off on her sub - using a tattoo gun. Magnus is probably expected to participate, but Alec refuses to budge from his lap. 

"What am I to do with you?" Magnus scolds, although he sounds amused. 

Maybe it's the glass of wine, or the cock cage, or just the mood of the room, but Alec is feeling a little reckless. "Don't mark him. Mark me instead," Alec replies breathlessly, rocking himself on Magnus' hard-on. By now, his caged cock is straining painfully against its confines and leaking precome, and there's a growing wet patch on his underwear.

"You want me to mark you as mine in front of everyone?" Magnus asks, cupping Alec’s caged cock through his jeans. Alec moans and nods, and finally lets Magnus get on his feet. 

The other client has already been ushered out of the room, but there are other guests who seem to have had the same idea, milling around the chair and tattoo gun. They all step aside to let Magnus through, but Magnus doesn't go to the bondage chair. Instead, he leads Alec to a normal lounge chair closest to the spotlight with a flourish, and pushes him onto the seat. This time, Alec is sure that he isn't imagining the looks of envy, and he realises it's because he's with Magnus - because _he's_ the one Magnus has chosen for a partner. Magnus straddles his lap, and his warm weight settling on Alec's caged cock is almost unbearable. 

"Still ok?" he whispers. 

"Yes. Green," Alec replies.

Everyone's eyes are on him when Magnus gets up to prepare the tattoo gun with a new needle, but Alec doesn't care, because _Magnus'_ eyes are on him, and only him. It could be just the two of them in the room. Magnus unbuttons half the buttons on Alec's shirt and has him kneel on the couch with his back turned towards him. He pulls the shirt down halfway to expose only the top of Alec's back, which also traps Alec's arms behind his back in his bunched-up shirt.

"Hold still," Magnus says, gently pushing his head down.

Alec tenses up when the needle bites into his skin, but it only stings a little and it's over before he knows it. There's some applause when Magnus is done, and someone else takes over the tattoo gun from Magnus. Magnus tapes a clear bandage over the tattoo, and Alec has barely had a chance to get his shirt back on properly before Magnus whisks him out of the dungeon and shoves him into a private room just round the corner from the dungeon, probably meant for spectators who have been inspired by the session and want to put that inspiration to good use.

"You've been a bit disobedient today, Alexander, although you were good for me when I was marking you," Magnus murmurs, practically ripping Alec's shirt off. "Maybe I need to take a firmer hand with you so you'll remember to behave." 

The room is unfamiliar and neither of them have bothered with the lights, but it doesn't matter - they find the bed easily enough, and Magnus pushes Alec face-down onto it and pulls his jeans and boxers down to his knees, wasting no time with teasing. He presses two lubed fingers into Alec's body and Alec moans as Magnus scissors him open with brutal efficiency.

"Hold on to your ankles, Alexander," Magnus orders, and Alec has barely gotten a proper grip when Magnus pushes his cock into him, making Alec take a little more with each thrust until he's buried to the hilt. 

"Magnus, please," Alec gasps, flexing around Magnus' hard cock inside him, and his own cock twitches inside the cage. Magnus grips him by his hair and tugs his head up, making Alec acutely aware of the collar around his neck; slides his cock out of Alec's body torturously slow, then slams back in, punching the breath out of Alec. 

Collar around his neck, cock locked up in unforgiving restraints, the fresh tattoo on his back stinging, and Magnus mercilessly pounding his ass - Alec feels thoroughly claimed, and it's incredibly freeing. Magnus is usually so careful and controlled around him, but now he just _takes_ , and Alec lets the feeling sweep him away. At some point he's let go of his ankles in favour of clawing at the sheets, and his whole body jolts with white-hot bursts of pleasure every time Magnus thrusts into him. In this moment, he's just a slick hole for Magnus to fuck, to use for his own pleasure, and Alec has never wanted so badly to feel Magnus come inside him.

"Harder, _harder_ \- fuck me harder, oh god," Alec babbles, and lets out a wordless cry when Magnus buries himself balls-deep inside him and shudders against him, filling the condom.

Alec shivers as Magnus pulls out of him, and moans with relief when Magnus rolls him onto his side and finally frees his cock from the cage. It only takes a few strokes for him to get fully hard, but he isn't expecting to be engulfed in the warm, wet heat of Magnus' mouth. He looks down in surprise, and Magnus holds his gaze as he bobs his head up and down, sucking Alec's cock so hard that Alec sees stars. Alec gasps when he feels the press of two fingers sliding into him, curling up just right, and cries out Magnus' name as he arches up and comes inside Magnus' mouth. 

Alec blinks awake to the sound of running water and light filtering in through the gap in the thick hotel curtain. He sits up and rubs a hand over his face, looking around blearily at the unfamiliar room, much smaller than the one they usually use, with Magnus' suit jacket still slung over the back of a chair. Magnus stayed the night, and it makes Alec feel a little warm inside even though they were both pretty wiped and mostly just slept next to each other. His whole body is sore, but the worst of it are his ass and the place where he got the tattoo, and Alec still hasn't seen what design Magnus has put on him - he'll need a mirror for that, and there's probably one in the bathroom. Alec starts searching through the pile of clothing on the floor for his underwear, and he spots the corner of the envelope of cash that he usually hands Magnus at the start of a session, still in the back pocket of his jeans. Alec fishes out the envelope; he'd been distracted from giving it to Magnus yesterday, and while it isn't that he can't afford to keep paying Magnus, he thinks they need to talk about what they are to each other now. This isn't the movies where sex workers all have tragic backstories, and Alec highly doubts that Magnus would appreciate him trying to sweep in and "rescue" him from being a pro dom - as far as he can tell, Magnus enjoys his work and is respected in his community, probably because Magnus is knowledgeable, experienced, and has honed his skills in his chosen profession to a fucking art form. There's probably another reason why Magnus asked to be paid extra - a test, maybe, to see if Alec was going to be an asshole, and Alec hopes he's passed the test. Magnus walks out of the bathroom just as Alec sets the envelope aside on the nightstand, weighed down by the collar Magnus gave him. 

"Morning," Magnus greets him with a smile, adjusting his ear cuff.

"Morning," Alec replies. After last night, he thinks it might be ok to try to kiss Magnus - but maybe after he's gotten rid of his morning breath.

He limps to the bathroom and turns to his side to get a better look at the tattoo - an abstract, simple design of an arrow between his shoulder blades, because apparently Magnus had remembered Alec's throwaway remark about archery. It's about two inches long, the tip of the arrow pointing upwards, and there's a small diamond shape interrupting the line of the shaft, but nothing about the tattoo overtly calls back to Magnus - except that if you squint and you want to take it that way, the feathered fletching forms the shape of an 'M'. 

It makes Alec's heart beat a little faster just looking at it, and he's waiting for the regret or dismay to hit him, but it doesn't come. In fact, he feels oddly calm. After all, the mark Magnus has left on him goes deeper than his skin, and it's just as irrevocable. Now it's just out in the open. 

"Last night was too much, wasn't it?" Magnus asks a little worriedly, watching him from the doorway.

"No, I had fun. Always wanted to get a tattoo," Alec replies.

Magnus huffs out a laugh. "You continue to surprise me, Alexander."

Alec ducks his head, feeling a little self-conscious, and grabs a toothbrush.

"I'm running late, I have a flight to catch - I'm going to be out of town for a convention for the rest of the weekend," he hears Magnus say. "But I should be back by Sunday evening. I thought that maybe we could-"

Magnus stops talking abruptly, perhaps waiting for his answer. Alec spits out his mouthful of toothpaste. "I'm supposed to meet some guy from work for drinks, but I can reschedule."

"I see." 

Alec frowns at Magnus' tone of voice. 

"Goodbye, Alexander," he hears Magnus say, and Alec steps out of the bathroom just in time to see the door close.

He's in such a hurry to get dressed to go after Magnus, that he doesn't even notice that the collar on the nightstand is gone, although the envelope of cash is still lying there untouched.


	4. pleasure is a freedom-song

_pleasure is a freedom-song,_  
_but it is not freedom._  
_it is the blossoming of your desires,_  
_but it is not their fruit._  
_it is a depth calling unto a height,_  
_but it is not the deep nor the high._  
_it is the caged taking wing,_  
_but it is not space encompassed._

_have you not heard of the man_  
_who was digging in the earth for roots and found a treasure?_

_\- Kahlil Gibran_

Magnus is long gone by the time Alec runs out into the corridor, and Alec has no idea where to even start looking.

Alec doesn't have Magnus' number. In fact, he's not entirely sure if Magnus is his real name or just a name he uses for clients, and all communication about sessions is made through the form on the website. Out of desperation, Alec leaves a message with the concierge on the "normal" side of the Hotel DuMont, asking that they get Magnus to call him back. He also makes a booking for Sunday evening, when Magnus said that he would be back in New York, and after an hour of pacing about the hotel lobby, the booking finally goes through. 

The knot in his chest loosens a little. If Magnus is willing to meet him, Alec can still fix this. 

Alec spends the rest of the weekend practically bouncing off the walls with nervous energy. He goes to the gym, cleans his entire apartment, and clears out his email inbox - anything that he can do without really thinking, because the only thing he can think about is what he needs to say to Magnus, to explain that he wasn't trying to cheapen their night together by paying him. The healing tattoo on his back is itching like crazy, but it's a good distraction. 

When Sunday rolls around, Alec leaves his apartment early and doesn't bother with his car because weekend traffic is too unpredictable, and takes the subway instead. He's so focussed on rehearsing his apology in his head that he doesn't hear Underhill calling his name until he taps him on his shoulder.

"Hey, I thought we were meeting at East Village," Underhill says, and it takes Alec a moment to figure out what Underhill is talking about.

"Uh, yeah, about that..." Alec is struggling to come up with an excuse, but he's never been good at white lies. "I'm really sorry, something came up, so I'm going to have to cancel. I know I'm being a really shit friend."

"Friend? Huh," Underhill mutters, shaking his head.

Alec frowns, taking in Underhill's colour-coordinated outfit, curly hair gelled within an inch of its life to make it stay flat, and the slightly overpowering cologne. "Wait. Was this supposed to be a date?" Alec asks with dawning horror. 

"Kind of, yeah." 

"Fuck, I'm so sorry. I thought you just wanted to hang out as friends," Alec blurts out. "I'm flattered, but I'm already involved with someone." 

Underhill chuckles a little self-deprecatingly. "To be honest, I was pretty surprised when you said 'yes' to drinks. I thought you might be seeing someone," he admits. "You've been smiling a lot more lately." 

Alec can't believe he didn't see it until now, and something else clicks. "Oh crap, that's why he's pissed. It wasn't just about the money," Alec mutters. 

"What money?" Underhill asks in confusion. 

Alec shakes his head, and his heart feels lighter now. It was just a stupid misunderstanding that made Magnus upset, and if Magnus is upset about him seeing other people, then that has to mean that he feels something for Alec too, right? "Never mind. I really have to go though," Alec says, then sticks his hand out. "Friends?" 

"Yeah, but you still owe me a drink - as friends," Underhill says, shaking his hand. "Maybe bring your partner, and he can introduce me to someone."

"Maybe," Alec says with a grin, and takes off in a run.

\--

Alec is an hour early, but after a while the concierge gives him a key. It's for a different room from the usual, but Alec doesn't think too much of it until he walks in to find that there's already someone in the room, and it isn't Magnus. In fact, he isn't even dressed like a dom - no leather or latex in sight, although there's probably someone out there with a kink for their dom in a pinstripe suit. 

"So you're Alec Lightwood," he says, looking Alec up and down and clearly not impressed. 

Alec frowns. "Who are you? Where's Magnus?" 

"I'm Raphael Santiago. I run this place," the stranger replies. "And I'm afraid Magnus will no longer be available for sessions at The Court."

The words are like a bucket of cold water. "What? Why?" 

"It has come to my attention that Magnus has been inappropriately involved with you," Raphael replies. 

"You fired him?" Alec demands. Raphael doesn't answer, but his disinterested shrug is all the answer Alec needs. "Well, I was the one who suggested our arrangement, not him. He said 'no' but I- I was pushy and I offered him a lot of money. He shouldn't have to lose his job because of me," Alec says.

"The boundaries are in place to protect everyone. The Court isn't a brothel, and dominants don't have sex with their clients to maintain emotional and psychological distance. Both of you crossed a line," Raphael says evenly. "In fact, you are no longer welcome at The Court either. If I see you anywhere on the premises, even on the street outside, I'm calling security on you, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to draw that kind of attention. You will receive a full refund for today's session, and The Court will have no more business with you. Please show yourself out."

\--

Alec goes back home in a daze, curls up in bed, and calls in sick the next day - the first sick day he's taken in years. He tries googling Magnus' name, but with no last name to go on, even though it's a pretty unusual name, in a place like New York City it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. He goes back to bed.

On Tuesday morning, he tells himself very sternly that he _will_ get out of bed and go to work. When noon rolls around, he's still lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

He's not just sad, he's... tired. Hollowed out. 

At 8pm, both his siblings descend on him, bearing beer, ice cream, and Chinese take-out, and he's forced to get out of bed to answer the door. "Go away. You'll catch my germs," he calls through the door. 

"Don't give me that bullshit, you went in to the office even when you had bronchitis last year. Open the door before I tell Mom," Izzy yells back. 

Alec sighs and lets them in, and immediately wishes he'd thought to put on a t-shirt because Izzy zeros in on the tattoo at once. 

"When did you get that? That looks new." 

"Friday," Alec replies. Izzy is a forensic pathologist, he knows better than to lie to her about things like this. He's just counting his blessings that they didn't use any rope on Friday. "How did you even know that I didn't go in to the office, anyway?" 

"I'm friends with Aline, remember? Head of marketing and your boss's daughter? The whole office is gossiping about it - apparently you've been acting weird for months, taking regular days off and joking with your staff," Izzy says. 

Alec throws his hands in the air in exasperation. "What, and that's gossip fodder now? We're obviously overstaffed, these people have too much time on their hands."

"Seriously though, dude, you look like shit. What happened?" Jace asks.

Alec shrugs. "Nothing. I'll be going back to the office tomorrow, there's nothing to worry about."

Jace frowns. "Wait. Does it have to do with the thing we swore never to talk about again? What the fuck did he do to you?"

"He didn't do anything, alright? I got him into trouble, I got banned and he got fired," Alec says tiredly. 

"Who got fired? What are you talking about?" Izzy demands, but when both her brothers stay quiet, she gives up and just gives Alec a tight hug. "Never mind, you don't have to tell me. Let's just eat ice cream and watch something dumb on TV."

\--

Despite his very best efforts, Alec doesn't manage to go to work on Wednesday. He does, however, manage to force himself out of the house, even if it's only to go to the bodega around the corner to get milk. The sun is setting in his eyes and he shields them with one hand and keeps his head down, so he doesn't see the guy loitering outside his apartment until he's a dozen feet away. Alec has practically developed a Pavlovian reaction to guys wearing black nail polish at this point, so that's the first thing he notices. The man is silhouetted against the gold of the sunset, but even then when he straightens up from where he's leaning against the wall, Alec would recognise him anywhere.

"Magnus."

"Hello, Alexander," Magnus replies with a smile. 

Alec has never seen Magnus dressed like this, in the sort of business chic more suited to someone who works in an ordinary office - a black vest over a light grey waistcoat, and all that over a white button-up with patterned cuffs. Alec assumes this is Magnus' version of a conservative outfit; there are no bright streaks of colour in his hair, and his makeup and jewellery are more toned down. Alec is suddenly horrifyingly aware that he's been wearing the same pair of sweatpants for three days, and hasn't shaved in all that time either.

"I'm sorry for showing up out of the blue like this, but your siblings said it would be ok," Magnus says. 

Alec runs a hand through his hair and doesn't know whether to thank or curse the gods for his nosy siblings. "Yeah, it's ok. Do you want to come on up?"

Magnus nods and lets him lead the way, and waits outside the door while Alec frantically shoves takeout boxes and beer bottles in a trash bag. 

"Can I get you anything? A drink?" Alec asks as Magnus settles on the couch. 

Magnus shakes his head. "I just want to talk." 

Alec sits down on a separate couch, and Magnus hasn't even had a chance to open his mouth before Alec ends up spilling his guts in a torrent of words. "Magnus, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get you fired from The Court. And I didn't mean to insult you by paying you, it's just-"

"Alexander, I think things will make a bit more sense if I speak first," Magnus interrupts gently, and Alec shuts up. Magnus takes a deep breath, and forces himself to look Alec in the eye. "Raphael didn't fire me, that was a lie. He means well, but he can be a bit overprotective. When I realised that he had intercepted our meeting and banned you from The Court, I knew that I had to track you down. After all, I had a responsibility to you, and unfortunately I know through personal experience how terrible it feels to be abandoned by your dominant."

Alec hardly dares to hope. "You were searching for me?" 

"I actually managed to get hold of your office number - fortunately 'Lightwood' isn't such a common name, and you were listed on the company website - but they told me you were ill. Even if your siblings hadn't stormed into The Court complaining that you were experiencing subdrop, I promise that I'd have made sure that you had a way to contact me if you wanted to."

"Subdrop?" 

"It's like a crash after a chemical high, makes you feel depressed and lonely. Doms can experience something like that too, except that in our case we start second-guessing ourselves, wondering if we're monsters for taking pleasure in treating someone we care about like that..." Alec opens his mouth to protest, but Magnus clears his throat and moves on. "I know it must have been a miserable few days for you, and I understand if you don't want to see me again after this."

"What? Why would you think that?" Alec asks, bewildered.

Magnus takes out an envelope from his pocket and hands it to Alec; it's a cheque for a few thousand dollars, all the extra money Alec paid Magnus to have sex with him during their sessions.

"The truth is, I'm one of the owners of The Court," Magnus admits. "There are four of us - me, Raphael, Ragnor, and Dot, although Ragnor only oversees the day-to-day operations of the hotel side of the business. Raph and I took over the business years ago, I'm usually in charge of training our staff, and sometimes I hold workshops for couples and help to ease new clients in. But you see, the point is I didn't actually need the extra money, not in the sense that I needed it to pay the bills. The five hundred dollars was meant to be a deterrent for you at first, because I wasn't sure what your intentions were. After that, it became a reminder for me - that this was a professional relationship, not a personal one, and I couldn't lose my head or my heart around you," Magnus says softly, then smiles a little sadly. "As you can see, it didn't work very well." 

"Oh." Alec moves to the couch Magnus is on. "I get why you were upset when you thought I was trying to pay you, though. I didn't mean it that way, I was going to talk to you about it. Plus, I know I mentioned meeting someone for drinks, but it wasn't a date. Well, he was asking me out, but I didn't realise that that was what he meant. I thought he just wanted to hang out."

"I'd been wondering if you were still dating other people while you were having sessions with me," Magnus confesses, but his smile grows a little brighter. "I had a stupid moment where I thought I'd read you wrongly, that you only saw me as someone you paid to have fun sex with and not someone you'd even consider having a serious relationship with, and when I saw that you'd returned my collar, I just..."

"Was I supposed to keep that?" Alec asks with a frown.

"There're different types of collars, some are just for play and some are a symbol of commitment. But in a committed relationship, a sub returns their collar when they want to end the relationship."

Alec's eyes widen. "But I didn't-" 

"No, I know you didn't know, and it was my fault for not making my position clear either," Magnus says soothingly. "It was just that the combination of everything brought out a very emotional response in me, and I'm afraid I didn't handle it very well, especially since I was feeling vulnerable after the intense session we had the night before. By the time I regretted stomping out of the room instead of talking it out with you, I was already sitting on the plane." Magnus fiddles with one of his rings, and his voice falters a little when he says, "Alexander, I know I'm a lot to handle. But if there's even a chance-" 

Alec quietly takes Magnus' hand in his. "Magnus, I knew what I was getting into when I started having feelings for you. And yeah, it's been a bit weird to think of you having sex with other people, but y'know, you're more than your job."

Magnus shakes his head and smiles. "Don't you remember? I'm not supposed to have sex with my clients."

Alec has already mostly reconciled himself with the reality that Magnus' job requires him to touch other people in a sexual way, but he can't deny that his heart soars when he hears this. "So I'm the only one you've slept with?" Alec asks. "Why me?" 

"Because you were cute," Magnus says with a shrug, and smacks Alec on the shoulder when he lets out a loud snort of laughter. "What? I never said it was deep."

"Does this mean I can kiss you now?" Alec asks. At Magnus' nod, Alec leans in a little... then moves away and stands up. "On second thought, I should probably shave and take a shower first."

It's worth it just to see the look on Magnus' face. " _Alexander_ ," Magnus gasps indignantly, then narrows his eyes at him. "Didn't you learn your lesson about misbehaving?" 

"You can't use your dom voice on me, we're not playing - yet," Alec counters with a grin, walking backwards towards his bedroom. "Besides, I enjoyed myself the last time I misbehaved." 

Magnus stands up to his full height and tugs his vest straight, and damn it, it shouldn't be so hot when he lifts his chin and settles into that arrogant and slightly intimidating persona that tells Alec that playtime is definitely in session now. Magnus strides forward with slow, deliberate steps, and Alec matches him step for step down the short hallway and into his bedroom. 

"Make yourself at home," he tells Magnus before he ducks into the ensuite bathroom, laughing. 

"I'll be waiting," he hears Magnus say, and the promise in his tone of voice is enough to send a shiver down Alec's spine. God, he's really in for it now, and he can't wait. 

Alec had figured that Magnus would have a hard time coming up with an idea for a scene on the spot given Alec's very meagre kink supplies at home, so unlike the well-stocked wardrobes at The Court. He knows he has lube and some condoms, and that's probably it - although he's sure Magnus will think up something with all the neckties and belts in Alec's closet. 

Alec cleans himself very thoroughly and forces himself to take his time shaving. By the time he gets out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, Magnus is sitting on Alec's reading armchair in the corner of the room, idly tracing circles on his index finger with his thumb. Alec glances at the side table and sees the lube and a string of condoms, as well as a dildo vibrator that he'd forgotten that he even owned, something he bought to try but only used once. There's nothing there that could be used to restrain him, and Magnus notices his expression. 

"I don't need anything to tie you down, not if you want to be good for me," Magnus says, getting up from his seat and coming to stand right in front of him, with only an inch of space between them - close enough to kiss, close enough that Alec can feel his breath on his skin. "Are you going to be good for me, Alexander?" 

"Yes," Alec answers, voice already a little husky. 

Magnus' lips quirk into a smile. "Good boy." He unknots the towel and takes it off Alec, barely brushing the skin at his hip, then steps back to give him a very blatant once-over. "Now, I want you to put on a piece of underwear, preferably something that you won't mind me ruining."

That sounds both ominous and promising. Alec quickly digs out a pair of briefs that he's always found too scratchy and puts it on. 

"On the bed, and on your back," Magnus instructs, settling back into the chair. "Then bend your legs and spread them for me, and keep them there."

Magnus has piled up the pillows in a way that Alec can lie back on them and still see Magnus. Alec feels his face flush a little as he gets into position, and he doesn't even know why - it's not like Magnus hasn't seen him like this, and he isn't even totally naked right now. 

"How do you touch yourself when you're thinking of me, Alexander? When you're all alone, maybe just a couple of days after we've last met, and the memory of what we did together is still fresh." 

Alec's hands go to his nipples immediately, rolling them gently between his thumb and index finger - strange how something that never used to do anything for him is now forever associated with Magnus and how he makes him feel, such that every twist of his fingers sends a jolt of pleasure straight to his cock. Alec arches up a little and closes his eyes, but Magnus is having none of it.

"Eyes on me, Alexander. You're putting on a show for me, for _my_ pleasure."

Alec's eyes fly open, and he can feel the heat rising in his cheeks - but two can play at this game. Alec pushes through his embarrassment spreads his legs a little wider, thrusting his hips forward. Normally when he's alone he goes straight to the point and starts jerking off, but now he draws it out, smoothing his hands slowly down his body, past his navel and avoiding his cock to slide them down his inner thighs, then brushing his balls lightly and cupping his half-hard cock through his underwear - not nearly enough for any real satisfaction, just to draw attention to them for Magnus' benefit - before going back to his nipples. Magnus' full attention is on him, tracing circles on his thumb again, and the bulge in his pants is obvious. It's an incredibly heady feeling. Alec reaches behind himself and brushes two fingers over his entrance through the fabric, tracing the shape and dip of it. Alec presses in just a little, pulsing the tip of his finger at his entrance, then gasps with pleasure as he starts to rub the sensitive rim with increasing urgency.

"Fuck, Magnus," Alec moans, his other hand already stroking his cock through his underwear.

"Stop. Hands palm down on the bed, Alexander," Magnus orders.

It takes some effort to stop, but Alec obeys, breathing hard. Magnus stands up and starts removing his rings one by one, setting them on the table.

"Now get on your knees, shoulders on the bed and hands behind your back." 

Alec gets in position and waits, while Magnus takes his time walking towards him. He pulls Alec's underwear down to his mid-thigh, then smooths a thumb over Alec's entrance, a sensation that makes Alec shudder.

"Hold yourself open for me." 

Alec reaches behind to spread his ass cheeks, exposing his hole, and now his face is definitely burning but his cock is rock hard. In this position it feels like he's begging for a fucking... which he supposes he is. The first finger sliding into him already feels so good that Alec can't help moaning, trying to spread his knees as far as the underwear will allow him. Magnus takes his time, working Alec open with two, then three fingers, equal parts teasing and as if he is using extra care to make up for the rough sex on their previous session. Then Magnus removes his fingers and immediately replaces it with the head of the dildo, and Alec whines in protest, trying to clench down it and stop it from going in.

"Magnus, I don't-"

"I thought you promised that you were going to be good for me," Magnus admonishes. Alec forces himself to relax and bites down on his lips to stop himself from making another sound, still holding himself open while Magnus fucks him with the dildo and trying not to cringe at the weird plastic-y feeling of it.

Thankfully, Magnus stops after he's gotten it seated all the way inside Alec, the wide base of it pressing against Alec's rim. Unfortunately, Magnus also leaves it in and turns it on to the weakest setting, then nudges his hands away and pulls the underwear up over it so that the dildo is held in place inside him. Alec grunts, squirming.

"Don't worry. I'm going to let you earn your reward now," Magnus says, unbuttoning his black vest. 

As Alec watches, the second vest comes off, then the white button-up. It's suddenly occurred to Alec that he has never seen Magnus without a shirt, and it's a surprise to find out that Magnus' nipples are pierced and adorned with gold barbells, and when he turns to put his clothes neatly folded on the table, Alec sees that Magnus has a tattoo that takes up half his back, some sort of mandala with a lotus flower blooming in the middle of it. Off come the rest of his clothes, then Magnus strokes himself a few times as he climbs onto the bed and tugs on Alec's hair to pull his head up. Magnus' cock is exactly at eye level for Alec, and Alec doesn't need words to be told what to do.

He eagerly opens his mouth and fits his lips over the head of Magnus' cock, sucking and licking, and relaxes his jaw as Magnus pushes more of his length into his willing mouth. The sweet-salty taste of Magnus' precome is blooming on his tongue, and Magnus groans when Alec laps at the slit to get more of it. Magnus' grip on his hair tightens as he holds Alec in place while he fucks his mouth, sliding his cock in so deep that Alec starts to gag on it before easing off a little and thrusting his cock back in with a filthy roll of his hips, testing Alec's limits little by little with each thrust until Alec is taking his cock all the way to the back of his throat. Alec's eyes are watering and he can't breathe properly with Magnus' cock plugging up his throat, but even the dildo in his ass is starting to feel good if he lets himself imagine that that is Magnus' cock too - that this is how it feels like to take Magnus' cock on both ends, to let his body be so completely used for Magnus' pleasure.

Magnus' moans are intoxicating as he fucks Alec's mouth, all the sounds he normally doesn't allow himself to make while he's servicing Alec, and with a sharp gasp he finally pulls Alec off his cock. Magnus smooths a thumb over Alec's swollen lip, breathing heavily. "God, look at you," he murmurs. 

Then he leans down to kiss Alec, a sweet press of their lips together, and it is like a dam breaking. 

Between the both of them, they manage to get Alec's underwear off and ease the dildo out of Alec's body, and they fall onto the bed together in a tangle of limbs, lips, hands, rutting desperately against each other. Magnus cups his face as he lavishes hot open-mouthed kisses on him, and Alec can't believe that he gets to see Magnus like this, arching into his mouth as Alec moves lower to tongue the piercings in his nipples, all defenses gone - this is just Magnus purely as he is, and there's no need for any games or pretenses.

Magnus reaches down to give Alec's ass a squeeze before pushing three fingers into him, humming in appreciation at how easily Alec is taking his fingers, then flips them over, pushes Alec's legs apart, and grabs a condom. 

"Magnus, fuck-!" Alec moans as Magnus fills him with one hard thrust, his cock hot and hard inside him and a million times better than the stupid dildo. 

Magnus lifts Alec's hips so that his ass is on his lap, and straightens his own legs so that his muscular calves are pinning Alec's arms to the bed. Then he grabs Alec's wrists for leverage, and starts fucking into him like this - with Alec's entire body bowed, his cock jutting out proudly, leaking and aching to be touched. At this angle, the head of Magnus' cock is grinding firmly into his prostate, and Alec can already feel his orgasm curling tight inside his gut. 

"Magnus, please, let me come," he moans as the pressure builds to a point where it's almost unbearable.

Magnus lets go of one wrist to jerk him off, but just as Alec starts to come, he puts his index finger and thumb around the shaft of Alec's cock and squeezes. Alec cries out in pleasure and shock - it feels like he came, but not quite, and his body is shaking with the force of it but his cock is still hard. Magnus reclaims his wrist and starts fucking him again, but he feels as sensitive as if he _did_ come and he can't help clamping down on Magnus' cock, crying out every time Magnus drives his cock into him again. 

"You feel so good like this, so tight for me now," Magnus pants. "I can make you come like this, over and over, and as long as I don't let you ejaculate you'll still be hard, still be wanting." 

"It's too much," Alec gasps, tossing his head. His hole is hot and tight around Magnus' cock, and when Magnus leans forward to flick his tongue at a nipple, the onslaught of pleasure pushes him to a breaking point. "Oh fuck, _please please please_ -"

His body is an instrument Magnus knows how to play too well, and Magnus wrings out orgasm after orgasm from him, fucking him through all of them until he finally comes deep inside Alec and lets Alec spill his release over his own abs. 

\--

They take a shower together after that, and end up leaning against each other on the couch eating leftover Chinese take-out. Magnus is wearing one of Alec's sweatpants because they're more comfortable than his office clothes, and it's doing things to Alec that unfortunately he may have to wait a while to act on. As it is, Alec may have to take another day off work, because he's going to have a hard time sitting at his desk for ten hours - or maybe that will make his work day a lot more interesting.

"What do you have on tomorrow?" he asks Magnus. 

"I need to get started on my presentation notes for the shibari convention next month. And staff training," Magnus says, making a face. 

"I'm sure it's more exciting than when I have to do it," Alec says.

"Depends on whether you want to call dripping hot wax on people so they'll learn how it feels like 'exciting'," Magnus says wryly, although he smiles when Alec puts one arm around him. 

"Are there professional subs as well as doms in The Court?" 

"Yes, but the subs are only available for pro doms. In a professional house like The Court, everyone starts out as a sub. Helps you develop empathy," Magnus explains. 

"And when you were a sub, one of your doms hurt you," Alec says quietly, remembering what he'd said earlier. 

Magnus nods. "I made the mistake of falling too hard, too fast - gave her too much power without realising it." He smiles at Alec. "You'd probably make a good dom, I can tell. You're the sort who likes to take care of people. And a new dom can learn a lot from an experienced sub."

Alec thinks of having Magnus spread out under him, laid bare for him to praise and pleasure, and it's pretty appealing, but he doesn't trust himself with that yet. "Maybe. Some day." He clears his throat. "You know, I wouldn't mind wearing your collar. I mean, if you still want me to."

Magnus raises an eyebrow at him with a haughtiness that is obviously all just show. "And if I give you a collar, are you going to be good for me, Alexander?"

Alec grins and shrugs non-committally, then leans forward to kiss him soundly on the lips.

"Why don't we find out?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End.
> 
> Hope you guys had as much fun reading as I had writing! I'm on twitter @tethysea if you want to say hi.
> 
> Until next time, XOXO.


End file.
